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holidays

My mother was not a great cook. I think she would happily cop to that. She made spaghetti, burnt steak, and stuck underseasoned chicken breasts in the oven until they turned rubbery. Her mother was not a great cook either. She was Irish, so I guess that was part of her legacy to boil everything until it fell apart and all the taste seeped out, or so she claimed.
However, her father was French, so she inherited a different type of culinary genius: boy could she bake. If I had to choose one of ... Read more »

It's the holidays, and that means lots of things: peace on Earth, goodwill to men!
Just kidding, it means cranky people fighting in the parking lot, someone getting shanked over the last PlayStation, and passive aggressive fruitcake gifts.
I wasn't always this cynical. I, too, was once a merry-eyed elf with stars in my eyes and garland round my neck, until I worked long enough in veterinary medicine. Then I began to dread the month of December. It is a month of ill portents:
Too ... Read more »

I usually spend this time of year making up wishlists for dogs and cats, and with a new kitten in the house, there's plenty she could be interested in finding under the tree (though for her, the tree itself is present enough). But then I saw a few things that I just had to stick on my Amazon Wishlist, and because I thought they were awesome I thought some of you out there might find them awesome too. If you want to get that special vet in your life something that blows the lid off a "I love ... Read more »

Heading out for the holidays with Fido or Fluffy in tow? Bringing your pet with you can be a great alternative to boarding or housesitting, as long as you plan ahead and make sure you are prepared with pet-friendly accommodations. There's few things worse than showing up at Grandma's, dog in tow, only to have her stare in horror at your dog and say, "I didn't know you were brining HIM," while pointedly stroking her Persian cat and glaring at you.
Assuming you know what you're going to do when ... Read more »

It's a big weekend. A big, big weekend here in North America. To all my Canadian friends- Happy Canada Day! And to my American partners in crime, I hope you're getting the barbecues cleaned off and ready to roll!
The Fourth of July is the number one day for pets to run off. Number one. So while you are busy perfecting your burger recipe and figuring out how many ears of corn you need for Monday, take just a moment to do a couple of things to keep your pet safe: ... Read more »

Today I learned that a mere 30 minute drive from my house is the only private war memorial devoted to canine heroes, at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society.
The Department of Defense is doggedly (sorry) opposed to official recognition of canine veterans, according to US War Dogs Association Head Ron Aiello, out of concern that it would detract from the accomplishments of the human honorees.
I fully admit I am not an expert on military life. I have not served in the military or lived with a ... Read more »

I have a sneaking suspicion that Cinco de Mayo may not be as big of a deal elsewhere as it is here in Southern California. This was recently confirmed by my co-worker whose family is from Mexico. "We never celebrated it until we came to the States," he said. "But I'll take any excuse for a beer."
Which pretty much sums it up for the rest of us, I think. Cinco de Mayo, which is not technically a celebration of Mexican independence so much as the celebration of one key victory- and beer- is a ... Read more »

I'm very excited to share with you all a Very Special Guest Post by a veterinarian who knows much more about rabbits than I do: exotics veterinarian Dr. Baebler! Like many vets, I'll grudgingly treat these little guys, but I know less about them than I wish I did. So without further ado, here's some Easter advice from our buddy Dr B!
With Easter just around the corner, ‘tis the season for cute little bunnies, chicks, and ducklings to start appearing in pet stores and farm & feed ... Read more »

Ever since I bought the original doggie donut for Emmett back in the day, I've been trying to figure out how to reproduce the results. Donut in shape but granola in texture, crunchy, dog-friendly perfection. I've done zucchini donuts and banana donuts and granola bars, but this latest incarnation is my closest yet to perfection.
Here's how: ... Read more »

Why do we humans have to make love so complicated? I've spent the last week listening to radio ads appealing to desperate men without a clue what to get for their mate: bears? chocolate? jewelry? pajamas? flowers? massages? Screw this one up and you could be paying for weeks, the ads direly imply.
Kids don't have it much easier. When I was in elementary school, I would stress for days over which Valentine to give to which kid. Tommy's gross, so I can't give him the "Be Mine" ones. He gets the ... Read more »

They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. ... Read more »

The Pawcurious Flickr group has gone gangbusters! I want to try and show off as many Halloween costumes as I can before the holiday but be sure to check out the group for the entire amazing collection.
I tried to make sure I included at least one picture from everyone who submitted public photos. That's a good lookin bunch of pets you all have here
I'm trying to decide if he is the dragon or is being eaten by the dragon. :D
Plenty more behind the cut: ... Read more »

After my post about spiders last week, Marcie from Helen Woodward Animal Center reminded me that their Fall Harvest Tour was happening this weekend. I remembered seeing the haunted house as it was being set up on my tour with Mike Arms a few weeks ago, and I was really excited about getting a chance to take my kids.
Like everywhere, we have our usual assortment of pumpkin patches, hay rides (but in San Diego, that translates to a ride on a tractor around a cement parking lot) and the like, ... Read more »

To say it was an eventful weekend would be a bit of a understatement. This weekend was action-packed. However, I'm exhausted by all of it and I just want to enjoy my chocolate coma, so I'll leave all of that for later and for the moment, simply share the family tradition of humiliating the pets with festive holiday wear:
Koa tolerates this, as with all things, with good humor.
We will sit nicely but only if you promise great rewards.
For Brody, liver treats will do the trick.
In ... Read more »